Supreet Kaur of IBC-24 kept her composure during the Saturday morning bulletin as a reporter phoned in details of a fatal accident involving a Renault Duster at Pithara.

Chhattisgarh TV anchor Supreet Kaur has no response to how she did what she did on April 8 morning while reading out on a live breaking news bulletin of her husband Harshad Gawde’s death in a road accident.

HT broke the story of Kaur’s exemplary commitment, which stunned her colleagues at Chhattisgarh’s private IBC-24 channel and then the world.

When told that people across the world were calling her brave and courageous, and sending in condolence messages, Kaur’s eyes displayed little emotion. She had a vacant look, sitting in the drawing room at her husband’s house in Durg, about 35 km from state capital Raipur.

“Whenever my husband used to ask me where I was, I would reply, ‘TV dekh lo pata lag jayega (watch the TV, you will get to know),” Kaur told HT on Thursday. “I was very reserved, but he drew me out of my shell. He was my life and taught me how to be happy. He always appreciated my journalism. I am thankful to everyone who supporting me at this difficult time.”

The grieving family made it known that Kaur had lost her father in a road accident four years ago.

Kaur indicated she did not want to say much. Her family members said they did not appreciate misreporting by sections of the media, which stated the news anchor and her husband had a daughter.

Kaur, who is from Bhilai, and businessman Gawde got married two years ago and they did not have a child. Kaur had rented a house in Raipur, where her channel is based.

Gawde, who was in his early 30s, and two of his friends died in the accident at Pithara in Mahasamund district last Saturday.

Kaur kept her composure during the morning’s live news bulletin that day as a reporter phoned in details of the fatal accident.

The reporter said three of the five people travelling in the vehicle were dead. Though he did not identify the dead, there was enough for Kaur to instantly realise it could be her husband. She broke down, but only after having walked out of the TV studio after the news hour.

Kaur’s father-in-law, Abhay Gawde, said his son was a jovial man. “He treated me like an elder brother and not father.”

Amid the overwhelming support for Kaur’s fortitude, her employers have firmly stood by her. Ravi Kant Mittal, editor-in-chief of IBC-24, said, “We are proud of her as a journalist. Our organisation will always be there for her.”